Unity and Interconnection

Starhawk, a Native American teacher, challenges us: “The Hopis say that we all began together; that each race went on a journey to learn its own road to power, and changed; that now is the time for us to return, to put the pieces of the puzzle back together, to make the circle whole.” (Spiritual Literacy, 1996)

This is our story here in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. It is a story of interconnection, of struggle and incremental gains, of love and respect, of faith and hope. It is a story in which each of us plays a part – as called by our Creator. It is a story of putting the pieces back together, to return to wholeness and balance.

What piece are you carrying back to the circle? How is your Creator calling you to reshape the wholeness?

The past two weekends, Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake has been out in Howard County and Montgomery County talking about polluted runoff, the only source of pollution that is still increasing in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Click here to learn about polluted runoff, where it comes from, and how we can fix this problem together. Maryland House Bill 987 creates local funding sources to address polluted runoff and reduce our impact on the streams and rivers that make up the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. IPC supports HB 987 and efforts to keep the law in tact so that it can be given a chance to do what it is designed to do. As IPC’s Board Chair Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin stated in her keynote speech at the Howard County gathering:

“If the religious community was ever called upon to unite and engage in a Great Work that transcended us all, THIS IS IT. This – speaking out and working toward redirecting humanity’s self-imposed hurtling toward the destruction of earth’s 4 billion-year celebration of life - is our Great Work.”

We reiterate this call to action and ask that you continue to educate yourself on this issue. We invite you to contact your state legislators to express your support for House Bill 987. At the very bottom of this email is a draft email you can personalize for your use, or you may access the letter here. This link will help you find your legislator and how to contact them.

We invite you to engage in many other ways, too. Scroll below to see all our offerings, programs, and invitations to engage.

In closing, Mother Teresa once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” May we never forget. We are called together…let us work together.